Man apologises to LGBTQ+ community after listening to their stories

During a hearing on the U.S.A. on a proposed anti-trans bill in Wisconsin’s legislature, an older man from the state apologised to the trans community.

The individual, named Larry Jones from Milwaukee by the Wisconsin Examiner, initially attended the hearing to express his support for Assembly Bill 104. This bill aims to prohibit gender-affirming care for anyone under 18 and would potentially strip medical licenses from doctors providing such care. However, after listening to testimonies from trans individuals, Jones reconsidered his stance, according to ‘LGBTQ Nation’.

“I was invited here to give my support for [the bill]. I have very little knowledge of gay people and things like that. So, when I came here, my eyes were opened,” he stated during his testimony.

A video of his apology, shared by the ACLU of Wisconsin, notes that Larry waited over six hours in an overflow room to testify supporting the bill. As he engaged with others during his wait, he realised the extent of his ignorance.

“I was one of the critics that sat on the side and made the decision there was only two genders,” he confessed. “I got an education that was unbelievable, and I don't know just exactly how to say this, but my perspective for people have changed… I’d like to apologize for being here, and I learned a very lot about this group of people.”

On TikTok, one user commented, "He could’ve just left. But he still chose to speak and publicly admit he had been ignorant on something and had since changed his mind. What a great man. The world needs more Larrys.”

Another user remarked, “This made me cry. He showed up. He listened. He learned. He changed his perspective. And then he spoke publicly. That is truly remarkable in this climate. Bravo Larry! I’d love to buy you a beer.”

A third simply wrote: “Hope. There is hope. There is hope.”

Despite Larry’s change of heart and the fact that 79 people reportedly spoke against the bill compared to 18 in favour (including the bill's authors), the GOP moved the legislation forward with a 10-5 vote along party lines. Regardless of upcoming steps, the bill is unlikely to become law as Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) has pledged to veto anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

State Rep. Lisa Subeck (D) told the Wisconsin Examiner she saw the emotional hearing as indicative of progress.

During the hearing, State Rep. Adam Neylon (R) mentioned that his support for the bill is not a "judgment on trans people” but stems from a desire for a “conservative approach to medical care that may be irreversible.”

“If you're accusing us of wanting to be conservative when it comes to the medical care of minors, then that is true…," Neylon said. “That doesn’t mean we want them [deceased], right? That doesn’t mean we don’t recognize their right to exist.”

He acknowledged that the bill might not be perfectly targeted and could seem political, expressing understanding of the pain, stating, “I would be angry if I was young too, but it’s not coming from a place of saying, like trying to other them or saying, like, you don’t belong in our society.”

Subeck highlighted that the lawmakers’ comments during the hearing were “a little bit closer to the conversations that we often have when we are sitting one-on-one, talking to each other.”

“In private, legislators have a lot of conversations that don’t reflect the votes that are taken on the floor,” Subeck observed. “It makes me a little bit hopeful, because while my Republican colleagues continue down the path of voting their party line — even when they have said they have things to learn and it gives them pause — the fact that they were willing to even sit in that room, in sort of a public sphere, and have a conversation means that there is room for change.”

Not everyone was as receptive. Committee Chair state Rep. Clint Moses (R) upset Democrats and transgender advocates by allowing most pro-bill speakers to present first, rather than alternating viewpoints, which is the standard approach.

“We sit here for all this time, all these people, you’re allowing the anti-trans voices to go first. It feels like the world is stacked against us and we’re getting tired of it,” testified Cory Neeley. “My voice is cracking because I’m literally fuming at the fact that I’ve sat here all day long listening to people call me a groomer. People calling me a person who doesn’t care about their children… I’m a good parent.”